Nano ID

Introduction

In NocoBase, Nano ID generates a short random unique identifier.

It is suitable for short links, public codes, and external reference IDs that need a shorter string identifier. Use Snowflake ID for an ordinary internal primary key, or Sequence for readable business codes.

Use cases

Nano ID fields are suitable for these business scenarios:

• Short links
• Public codes
• External reference IDs
• Short random record identifiers

Create and configure

On the collection's Configure fields page, click Add field and select Nano ID to create this field.

Setting	Description
Field interface	The field interface. Nano ID uses nanoId, which determines how the field is entered and displayed in pages.
Field display name	The name displayed for the field, such as Share ID, Public ID, or Short identifier. Use a name that business users can recognize.
Field name	The field identifier used internally by APIs, relation fields, permissions, and workflows. It usually cannot be changed after creation. It supports only letters, numbers, and underscores, and must begin with a letter.
Field type	The data-layer type. Nano ID uses string by default.
Default value	The default value. When a new record has no value, NocoBase can fill this value automatically.
Validation rules	Validation rules. It is normally generated by the system and does not need manual validation.
Description	A field description. Record the field meaning, entry requirements, data source, or maintainer.

:::warning Note

Field names are referenced by page blocks, permissions, workflows, and APIs after creation. Confirm the name before creating the field to avoid later configuration changes.

:::

Field behavior

The default behavior of a Nano ID field is as follows:

Behavior	Description
Default Field interface	nanoId.
Default Field type	string.
Available Field types	string.
Page component	Displays a generated Nano ID value in pages.
Filtering	Supports text and identifier filters where supported by the data source.
Sorting	Supports sorting in Table blocks.
Validation	It is normally generated by the system and does not need manual validation.

Edit configuration

After creation, click Edit beside the field to edit its configuration. Edit fields to adjust how they are displayed and used in NocoBase, such as the display name, description, default value, validation rules, or field-specific settings.

When a field comes from a synchronized main-database table, editing usually maps the database field to a NocoBase Field type and Field interface.

Setting	Can be edited	Description
Field display name	Yes	Changes the name displayed in the interface without changing the field identifier.
Field name	No	The field identifier normally cannot be changed in the edit form after creation.
Field interface	Conditional	Main-database fields and synchronized fields can be adjusted during field mapping. Changes affect page input, display, and validation.
Field type	Conditional	Main-database fields and synchronized fields can be adjusted during field mapping. Confirm that existing values can be used by the new type first.
Default value	Yes	Adjusts the default value for new records.
Validation rules	Yes	Adjusts field validation rules.
Description	Yes	Adds the field meaning, entry requirements, data source, or maintainer.

:::warning Note

Changing a Field type or Field interface is more than changing a display name. It affects field storage, input components, validation rules, filters, and workflow-variable usage. When the field contains substantial existing data, confirm that its data format is compatible first.

:::

Delete field

Click Delete beside a Nano ID field to delete it. You can also select multiple fields and delete them in the main data source.

Deleting a Nano ID field created in the main database usually also deletes the actual database column and its values. For a synchronized or external-data-source field, the impact depends on the corresponding data source and field origin.

:::danger Warning

Deleting a field can affect page blocks, forms, filters, permissions, workflows, APIs, imports and exports, and existing data. Confirm that the field is no longer referenced by business configuration before deleting it.

:::

Use in pages

Nano ID fields are suitable for short public and external identifiers.

Scenario	Use
Details block	Display a short identifier.
Table block	Display and filter identifiers.
APIs	Use Nano ID values in public URLs or references.
Workflows	Pass short identifiers to external systems.

Related links

• Fields - Learn about field categories and mapping.
• General collection - Create and manage fields in a collection.
• UUID - Generate UUID identifiers.
• Sequence - Generate readable sequence numbers.